"suggested that the blast not having occurred on the anniversary of Babri Mosque destruction on 6 December, and the shoddy design of the attack, were indicative of the weakening of the Indian Mujahideen due to police action. 2010 Varanasi bombing The 2010 Varanasi bombing was a blast that occurred on 7 December 2010, in one of the holiest Hindu cities, Varanasi. The explosion occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the sunset ""aarti"", the evening prayer ritual to the holy river, Ganges had commenced, on these stone steps leading to it, where thousands of worshipers and"
"want to take a dip in the holy Ganges River. Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple, which is one of the most sacred of Hindu Temples. Birthplace of Lord Krishana. Both Mathura & Vrindavan have temples devoted to Krishna. During Holi, a special form of Holi called the Lath mar Holi is played here. Janmaashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, is celebrated in the region. Hindus believe the birthplace of Lord Rama to be in Ayodhya at the place called Ram Janmabhoomi, the site of the demolished Babri Mosque. Ayodhya is also the birthplace"
"The rivers 'Varuna' and 'Asi' combined form the name of the city ""Varanasi"". These two rivers flowing on the left bank of the Ganges enclose the old city of Varanasi. The ghats at the confluence sites of these two streams with the Ganges are also held in veneration. All these factors have contributed to the city being called the religious capital of Hinduism. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or ""Shiv ki Nagri"". The"
"is believed to cleanse all sins. Pilgrimage tours are organized regularly, especially from India, the most famous of which is the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra which takes place every year. Pilgrims come to take ceremonial bathes in the cleansing waters of the lake. Kali River: The Kali River originates from the Greater Himalayas at Kalapaani at an altitude of 3,600 m, in the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand, India. The river is named after the Goddess Kali whose temple is situated in Kalapaani near the Lipu-Lekh pass at the border between India and Tibet. On its upper course, this river forms India's"
"for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven holiest cities (""Sapta Puri"") in Hinduism, and is considered by the faith as the giver of salvation (""moksha""). Over 50,0Brahmins live in Kashi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigration. Thus, many Hindus come here to die. In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi district. As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple ""Jyotirlinga"", the city is especially sacred"
"of all illnesses in India and one-third of deaths can be attributed to water-borne diseases. Varanasi, a city of one million people that many pilgrims visit to take a ""holy dip"" in the Ganges, releases around 200 million litres of untreated human sewage into the river each day, leading to large concentrations of faecal coliform bacteria. According to official standards, water safe for bathing should not contain more than 500 faecal coliforms per 100ml, yet upstream of Varanasi's ghats the river water already contains 120 times as much, 60,000 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml. After the cremation of the"
"Ganga in Hinduism In Hinduism, the river Ganges is considered sacred and is personified as the goddess Gaṅgā. She is worshiped by Hindus who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and facilitates Moksha (liberation from the cycle of life and death), and that the water of the Ganges is considered very pure. Pilgrims immerse the ashes of their kin in the Ganges, which is considered by them to bring the spirits closer to moksha. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the Ganges, including Gangotri, Haridwar, Allahabad and Varanasi. During the Loy"
"Lord Krishna spent his childhood), and Allahabad(Prayagraj) (the confluence or 'holy-sangam' of the sacred Ganges-Yamuna rivers). Varanasi is widely considered to be one of the oldest cities in the world. It is famous for its ghats (bathing steps along the river), full of pilgrims year round who come to bathe in the sacred Ganges River. Mathura is world-famous for its colourful celebrations of the Holi festival, which attracts many tourists also – thanks partly to the hype, which the Indian film industry has given to this highly entertaining socio-religious festival. Thousands gather at Allahabad(Prayagraj) to take part in the Magh"
"Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is a Hindu temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India and is dedicated to the Hindu God Hanuman. The temple was established by famous Hindu preacher and poet saint Sri Goswami Tulsidas in the early 1500s and is situated on the banks of the Assi river. The deity was named """"Sankat Mochan"""" meaning the ""reliever from troubles"". In the temple, offerings to Lord Hanuman (called Prasad) are sold like the special sweet ""besan ke ladoo"", which the devotees relish; the idol is also decked with a pleasant marigold flower garland as well. This"
"to the Mother Goddess. Dwarka represents the place where God Krishna, after leaving Mathura spent 100 years before He left for His Divine Abode from here, according to the epic Mahabharata. Mathura is the embodiment of events in the life of Krishna during His childhood and young days. Haridwar with shrines of both Shiva and Vishnu, represents the gateway to Uttarakhand, as the sacred river Ganges emerges from the hills into the plains at this place. Varanasi is the place of salvation as it is strongly believed that death at this place will bring salvation. Varanasi is the holiest of"
"plough and changed its course, hurting the river goddess. Terrified, the river assumed her form as a goddess and bowed to Balarama and asked his forgiveness. A calmed Balarama ordered the river to flood the forest so he could bathe and play in her waters, and the river complied. Yamuna is one of the holiest rivers in Hinduism. Yamuna is only second to the Ganges (Ganga), the holiest river in Hinduism. Her confluence with the Ganges and the mythical Sarasvati rivers, Triveni Sangam, is very holy pilgrimage spot. Other pilgrimage sites along the river banks include Yamuna's source Yamunotri, Mathura"
"gold spire and gold dome. There are three domes each made up of pure gold. Located on the banks of the holy Ganges, Varanasi is regarded among the holiest of the Hindu cities. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is widely recognized as one of the most important places of worship in Hindu religion. Inside the Kashi Vishvanath Temple is the Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishveshvara or Vishvanath. The Vishveshvara Jyotirlinga has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. Many leading saints, including Adi Sankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Bamakhyapa, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sathya Sai Baba"
"called the Ganges festival, the Ganges is venerated by arti offered by thousands of pilgrims who release lighted lamps to float in the river from the ghats. Every year, the primary Muslim festivals celebrated in the city are the ld-ul-fitr' (Ramzan), Bakrid, Shab-e-Barat, Bara Wafat and Muharram. Additional festivals include Alvida and Chehlum. A non-religious festival observed by Muslims is Ghazi-miyan-ka-byaha (""the marriage of Ghazi Miyan""). Religion in Varanasi Varanasi, also known as Kashi, is considered as the religious capital of Hinduism. In the Hindu faith, it is the holiest of all of its cities; the four dhams (abode of"
"the mantra of salvation into the ears of people who die naturally at the Vishwanath temple. There are 5 aartis of Shree Kashi Vishwanath: Security arrangements do not allow any cell phones, camera, belts with metal buckle, cigarettes, lighters, etc. inside the temple. Kashi Vishwanath Temple Kashi Vishvanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the"
"in four religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon. According to Hindu mythology mount Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva and circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual. Another lake called Lake Rakshastal lying close to the west of Lake Manasarovar and The Great Mount Kailash. These lakes are the source of the Brahmaputra River and the Karnali River, a tributary of the Holy river Ganges. Amarnath Yatra: The Amarnath Temple in Jammu and Kashmir is dedicated to one of the holy trinity God “Lord Shiva“. The temple is on Amarnath mountain and Amarnath caves are the most"
"Yamuna in Hinduism Yamuna is a sacred river in Hinduism and the main tributary of the Goddess Ganga (Ganges), the holiest river of Hinduism. The river is worshipped as a Hindu goddess called Yamuna. In the Vedas, Yamuna is known as Yami, while in later literature, she is called Kalindi. She is incarnation of Saraswati? In the Vedas, Yami is associated with her twin brother and partner Yama, the god of death. Later, she is associated with the god Krishna as one of Ashtabharya, his consort as well and plays an important role in his early life as a river."
"Kashi Vishwanath Temple Kashi Vishvanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara meaning ""Ruler of The Universe"". Varanasi city is also called ""Kashi"", and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishvanath Temple. Its name originally was Visheshwar (broken down Vishwa:Universe Ishwar:Lord) or Lord of the Universe. Vishwanath was the name"
"Bagmati River The Bagmati River runs through the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and separates Kathmandu from Patan. It is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. A number of Hindu temples are located on its banks. The importance of Bagmati also lies in the fact that Hindus are cremated on the banks of this holy river, and Kirants are buried in the hills by its side. According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati River before cremation, so that the reincarnation cycle may be ended. The chief mourner (usually the first"
"Bakaruia Kund or Nakhi Ghat, Prayag (Allahadbad) at Dashahvamedha Ghat, Kamakhya (Assam) at Kamachha, Kurukshetra at Kurkukshetra Kund near Asi, and Lake Manasarovar at Mansarovar near Shyameshvara are a part of the city's religious and cultural heritage. In the sacred geography of India Varanasi is known as the ""microcosm of India"". In addition to its 3,300 Hindu religious places, Varanasi has 12 churches, three Jain mandirs, nine Buddhist shrines, three Gurdwaras (Sikh shrines), and 1,388 Muslim holy places. Kashi (a name popular with Hindu pilgrims for the city of Varanasi) is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage"
"or, alternatively, ten lifetimes of sins. On the same day, the river Yamuna is also worshipped and kite-flying events are organized. Devotees take a holy dip in the Yamuna at places like Mathura, Vrindavan, and Bateshwar, and give offerings of watermelon and cucumber. They distribute drinks such as lassi, sharbat and shikanji. In 2017, an estimated 15 lakh people celebrated the festival in Haridwar. At the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi, several rituals such as deep daan (offering of floating diyas to the river) and maha aarti are conducted. In Patna, a grand aarti is performed in the evening by priests"
"Panchami and Baisakhi, which are special occasions at this temple, the god is placed on a stone shown for worship. A stairway from the temple of Deva Prayag of Panch Prayag, leads to the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alakananda rivers where a distinct demarcation of the churning muddy stream of Alakananda mix with the saffron clear flows of Bhagirathi is seen (see picture in infobox) to evolve as Ganges, the holiest river for Hindus. Brahmins and pilgrims feed the fish species ""Cyprinus denticulatus"" ( length) at this site. Access to the five confluence locations on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is reckoned"
"of the most holy rivers in Hinduism the Ganges and Yamuna, originate in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has long been called ""Land of the Gods"" as the state has some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been visiting the region in the hopes of salvation and purification from sin. Gangotri and Yamunotri, the sources of the Ganges and Yamuna, dedicated to Ganga and Yamuna respectively, fall in the upper reaches of the state and together with Badrinath (dedicated to Vishnu) and Kedarnath (dedicated to Shiva) form the Chota Char Dham, one of Hinduism's most"
"Gomti River The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges. According to Hindu mythology, the river is the daughter of the Hindu sage Vashist; bathing in the Gomti on Ekadashi (the eleventh day of the two lunar phases of the Hindu calendar month) can wash away sins. According to ""Bhagavata Purana"" one of Hinduism's major religious works, the Gomti is one of India's transcendental rivers. The rare Gomti Chakra is found there. The Gomti, a monsoon- and groundwater-fed river, originates from Gomat Taal (formally known as Fulhaar jheel) near Madho Tanda, Pilibhit, India. It extends through"
"the river namely, Vishahareswara Temple, Kalyana Varadharaja Perumal Temple. Kudamurutti River Kudamurutti River a tributary of the Kaveri, is one of the five sacred rivers flows in Thiruvaiyaru in the Thanjavur District of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Kudamurutti River joins the Cauvery River at Tiruchirapalli. Ancient name of this river was kaduvaai which was mentioned in Tevaram, Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. The river is related to the famous saint Sri Narayana Tirth who is believed to have been attained enlightenment here. As it is believed to be a sacred river, River Kudamurtti is the Theertham of"
"the river to cleanse before they depart on the full journey. Banganga River The Banganga is a river of northern India. It is an important tributary of the Chenab River. It flows through the Katra town of Jammu Kashmir. The river originates from the southern slope of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas. It’s an important stop for Hindu devotees on the ‘’’Vaishno Devi’’’ pilgrimage, where many bathe before continuing their journey. The river's name comes from the roots ""ban"" ""arrow"" and ""ganga"" ""river"". Legend says that the mother ‘’’Vaishno Devi’’’ created the tributary with an arrow and bathed in"
"number of gods and goddesses that are invited to the festival from its 81 temples, Mandi town has the title of 'Varanasi of the Hills'. During 2016, the festival will be celebrated from 7 March (Shivaratri day) for seven days till 14 March 2016. The Mandi festival or fair is particularly famous as the special fair transforms Mandi town into a venue of grand celebration when all gods and goddesses, said to be more than 200 deities of the Mandi district assemble here, starting with the day of Shivaratri. Mandi town located on the banks of the Beas River, popularly"
"Bisnumati River The Bisnumati River, flowing in the Kathmandu Valley, originates at Tokha on Sivapuri Mountain, north of Kathmandu. It flows through the western part of old Kathmandu city. It is a holy river for both Hindu and Buddhist people. Literally, Bishnumati means ""the beloved river of Lord Vishnu"". Sobha Baghwati and Indrayani along with Kankeshowri temple - a few of the holiest places of the Kathmandu Valley are on the opposite banks of this river. Karbir Masan, a revered cemetery is also on the bank of this river. the tributaries of this river are Sapanatirtha Khola, Sangle Khola, Lhora"
"little. In Kashi, the Ganges has a more distinct northerly flow than at Haridwar. The Ganges here merges with five more rivers like Varuna and Assi. which is why this place is also known as Varanasi. It is said that Kashi is set on the Trishul of Lord Shiva. Barh Barh, a small city in Patna district located on the bank of Uttarwahini Ganges. One of the holiest & historic temple of Hindu of Lord Shiva also known as UMANATH located on the bank of Uttarwahini Ganga. The temple is the famous spot of pilgrimage of locals in Sawan month."
"Kudamurutti River Kudamurutti River a tributary of the Kaveri, is one of the five sacred rivers flows in Thiruvaiyaru in the Thanjavur District of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Kudamurutti River joins the Cauvery River at Tiruchirapalli. Ancient name of this river was kaduvaai which was mentioned in Tevaram, Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. The river is related to the famous saint Sri Narayana Tirth who is believed to have been attained enlightenment here. As it is believed to be a sacred river, River Kudamurtti is the Theertham of Tiruvalampozhil Temple. There are many Temples located beside of"
"(""Banāras""), or Kashi (""Kāśī""), is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (""Sapta Puri"") in Hinduism and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. Some historic Hindu temples in Varanasi were demolished and mosques built in their place after the 13th-century, particularly in the reign of Aurangzeb. Along with the destruction of Hindu temples in Varanasi, Aurangzeb tried to change the name of the city from Benares to Muhammadabad. Sites"
"add to the pollution. Tourism is another related activity. Three towns holy to Hinduism—Haridwar, Prayag (Allahabad), and Varanasi—attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters to take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help attain salvation. The rapids of the Ganges also are popular for river rafting, attracting adventure seekers in the summer months. Also, several cities such as Kanpur, Kolkata and Patna have developed riverfront walkways along the banks to attract tourists. Human development, mostly agriculture, has replaced nearly all of the original natural vegetation of the Ganges basin. More than 95%"
"with basil (tulsi) garland on the chest (favorite of Vishnu), ""Kaustubha"", ""Vaijayanthi hara"" (a necklace) and a few other ornaments, which once formed the divine jewelry of Krishna, the avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu, are also decorating the image of Ranganatha. The Ranganatha temple is also the religious center of Sri Vaishnavism propagated by Saint Ramanuja from Srirangam. The temple worship at the Ranganatha Swamy temples is done traditionally in the Tamil and Sanskrit scriptures written by the 12 Alvars and Ramanuja. Also, Kaveri River forms three small sacred islands in its river stretch in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at Adi"
"Swetha Vinayagar Temple The Swetha Vinayagar Temple (Tamil: Vellai Vinayakar Koil) is a Hindu temple situated in the village of Thiruvalanchuzhi (also spelt as Thiruvalanjuli) near Swamimalai in Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Kapardiswarar, a form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Brihannayaki. The temple is associated with a sage called Herandar, who, according to legend, is believed to have gone through an underground passage to the nether world and brought the Kaveri River to the earth to flow into the Bay of Bengal. Since the river took a convoluted direction"